once upon a december
by daughter-of-october
Summary: [Characters: Riza Hawkeye, Roy Mustang, Olivier Armstrong, Miles and others] # Summary: Chaos had just received an entirely new dimension. # won't let no one hurt you!verse
1. Chapter 1

**_once upon a december_**

**Characters**: Riza Hawkeye, Roy Mustang, Olivier Armstrong, Miles and others

**Summary**: Chaos had just received an entirely new dimension.

* * *

Roy Mustang was not happy at the moment. Everyone in the office could see and hear this. He had been at the phone for nearly an hour and it was questionable whether he would leave it alone anytime soon – most of his subordinates would say that he would never let go of it again.

"_Previous engagement?_ You are both cancelling on me, Jade?" he snarled for the eighth time in the past few minutes. "Midwinter is supposed to be spent with the family and that means me. You can't simply go ahead and cancel on me. That's heartless and against the spirit."

Jean Havoc chuckled as he watched his superior's despair. "How about you, Hawkeye?" he asked.

"What do you mean, Second Lieutenant?" she asked as she lowered her pen for a moment.

"He asks whether you got any plans for Midwinter," Breda supplied helpfully.

"I was invited to spend the days with my family," she replied. "If this is all, I'd like to go back to my work now. I want to leave early because it's a long way to the West and I leave this evening."

"Jade, please," the black-haired man went on. "Can't you cancel whatever previous engagement Phil and you have had? I don't want to spend the holidays all on my own just because you decided that you would spend the days at someone else's place…"

"Poor boss," Havoc grinned as he raised his eyebrow. "He should ask the brothers…"

"Oh, so you volunteer to write the reports about the tragic death of the colonel, then?" his best friend asked amused. "I didn't think that you'd appreciate the extra work."

"W-what … no, you aren't supposed to ask whether I can come too – Jade – no!"

"I love the days when the colonel calls her," Havoc chuckled as he scratched his chin. "She is always three seconds from breaking his mind completely and she does this in such an amazing way … someone should give her a reward for messing with him all the time."

"Back to work," Hawkeye ordered as she lifted her gaze for a moment. "I believe that most of us plan on leaving the city tonight, correct?"

"Yeah," Havoc declared proudly. "I am driving back home and Breda comes with me since his folks decided to travel instead of offering their only son a decent midwinter celebration."

"Falman spends the day with his family – and how about Fuery?" Breda asked.

"He is visiting his grandparents," Falman said as he shrugged. "No matter what, Hawkeye's right: we should hurry up and get our job done because we have to leave early."

_"…I told you not to tell Phil to get me invited too, Jade."_

"Someone **really** has to give her an award," Havoc sighed as he pushed another file over to Breda so that the red-haired soldier could check whether everything was correct.

* * *

The house was situated on a hill with miles of land surrounding it. This was the home of the Hamilton-family, the home of grace and wit. The white house with the green doors could be seen from miles ahead and whenever the family was there, whenever they returned to the place of the origin, their banner appeared on the roof.

"Impressive," Riza Hawkeye muttered as she paid the taxi driver and grabbed her suitcase. "Thank you for driving me up here," she added as she got out.

"Seeing that mansion was nearly worth it," the man said. "Have a good holiday, miss."

She nodded as she headed for the stairs that led up to the door – only to be face-to-face with Nerissa who suddenly stepped out of a shadow. The other, taller blonde wore a black coat with huge golden buttons and her hair was tamed by a red ribbon. Her pace was pale as usual but her cheeks were flushed from the cold – something she was obviously still not used to.

"Hey," she greeted cheerfully as she grabbed her suitcase which had been hidden behind a pillar. "I thought that I should wait for you so that you don't have to face the attack of the kids all alone. Especially the twins tend to be a little bit overenthusiastic when they meet someone new."

"I would have guessed that you would be here earlier than everyone…"

"Under normal circumstances, yes," she said as she grabbed her suitcase and headed for the door. "I had to make a slight detour and go to North City before I came here … I guess that they started to assume that I might not even come this time…" She stopped her tracks and grinned back at her cousin. "A little warning – I got a reputation for having a habit of shocking everyone during dinner. Since it's your first midwinter with the family, I am telling you to big surprise ahead – but to me a favour and take pictures, yes?"

"I have a feeling like you are doing something really, really mean to them…"

"I am dropping two bombs tonight – my husband's identity and the fact that we are becoming parents," Nerissa chuckled as she twirled around. "You will be just as amused as I am when you will see their faces – dear Truth, _Kay will throw a fit._"

It was strange how Nerissa and Kay cared about each other a lot more than they cared about anyone else, spouses excluded. Riza had heard from Lynn that Kay and Nerissa had had a huge fight after the war, a fight that might have killed both of them if not for Serena's involvement. The older twins were dangerous, Riza knew as much, Kay had been in Ishbal and the Lightening Alchemist was still rumoured to be among the strongest state alchemists and Nerissa was not weaker than her sister. They were twins and while their appearances were different, their hearts beat in the same tact and nothing that had ever happened could change this.

The door was opened before they could even knock and Lynn appeared in the doorway, dressed in a purple sweater and black pants. Her nose was reddened and she sneezed. "Blasted cold," she muttered before she glared at her sister from hazy purple eyes. "Yes, go ahead and laugh at me, Nessa, I know that you want to. I, the healer, have caught a cold while working."

"I guess that you don't need me to point out how pathetic that is, Lynn?" Nerissa smirked as she hugged her sister. "Get back to bed before dad realises that you ever got up in first place."

"He's out with Kay, sparring and blowing up half the forest," a girl that seemed extraordinarily tall for her age because she was five at most. Pretty red curls fell over her shoulders and purple eyes shone brightly as she approached the group.

"Vicky," Nerissa stated as she bent down to look at the girl. "You grew again."

"She seems to have no other goal since you told her that she has to be taller and tougher before she can join you when you are travelling," Lynn said as she patted her daughter's head. "Well, get in. The butler will get your suitcases to your rooms and we can drink tea together – yes, you can have hot chocolate, Victoria."

"Why are you even still up, Vicky?" Nerissa asked after checking her watch. "It's so late…"

"She has dad wrapped around her little finger and since this is his house, he calls the shots and when she promised him to be everything but whiny tomorrow morning, he allowed her to stay up until everyone is here. Laila and Nick are here as well, still up and awake. I think that they are at the windows to see whether they can spot Kay and dad," Lynn explained smoothly before she coughed violently. "That was my last call, I am back to bed. Vicky, be a dear and show Aunty Riza around. She was never here before. Nessa, we will have tea now."

"Lynn, I want to go back to my schedule as soon as midwinter is over, I can't afford falling ill at the moment," the oldest sister said with a small smile. "Plus, I'd like to change first."

"Do as you please, this is as much your house as it is mine," Lynn said before she disappeared.

Victoria turned the gaze of her purple eyes onto her aunt as a frown crossed her face. "There is something off about you," she declared as she poked Nerissa's arm. "Mom didn't notice but _I_ do."

"God, I _hate_ observant little healing alchemists," her aunt sighed as she bit her lip. "Do me a favour and don't tell anyone, Vicky. I will buy you chocolate."

"Lemon flavoured?"

"Your mother will kill me but, yes."

"You got yourself a deal, Nessa."

* * *

"Congratulation for scaring off the taxi driver, Mustang," Olivier snarled as she marched through the snow. "That was pure brilliancy."

"You are quite welcome," Roy replied with a wide smirk. "And I see no harm in a little walk."

"Well, **I** do," the black-haired woman at his side snapped as she brushed snow off her shoulders. "We are too late, I am freezing and Phil – is your automail okay?"

"We are usually working up North, my automail was constructed for this weather," the taller black-haired man stated amused as he looked ahead. "Don't worry, I am okay."

"It is sickening how you always refer to you and Hamilton as 'we' even when she is not here," Olivier stated drily. "And I think that's even sicker that everyone knows which 'we' you are talking about – because there is no one else you spend so much time with."

"If I had known that you are so jealous, Major General, I would visit you as well…"

"You and your sister are you seriously holding some sort of contest who is sassier?" the blond woman asked sharply as she sent him a glare. "I mean … you are well-respected state alchemists and yet, you both act like the biggest children at times…"

"I object against any statements that claim that I am as immature as my brother," the other woman said. "I mean no disrespect, Armstrong, but – seriously? This is the best you can do?"

"Jade, behave," Roy said as he looked around. "And answer this question … when are we there?"

"A few more minutes," Phil shrugged. "It's not that long anymore – we should be able to see the house pretty soon, wouldn't you agree, oh mature sister of mine?"

"I really wonder how Hamilton puts up with you the entire time," Olivier muttered under her breath before Roy barely managed to push her out of the way as a woman came staggering out of the forest.

"Sorry," the woman apologised as she pulled back her hood. "I didn't see you there, Olivier."

"Always making a show wherever you come, huh?" Olivier asked as she grinned widely. "I would have guessed that you outgrew this stage, Kay…"

The redhead grinned as she approached the group. "Let's go to house together," she suggested as she called out to her father who appeared in between of the trees as well. "We were training a little bit – a midwinter tradition. Usually, Nessa joins us but she was not there yet by the time we decided to give it a go – she should be here by now though."

"I hope you really don't mind that we brought Roy," Jade said as she bit her lip.

"Jade, you are Lynn's best friend and when Lynn says that it is okay that you brought him, it is. Plus, we always invite many new people," the red-haired woman said cheerfully. "So, um, let's hurry back before Lynn can freak or something like that."

"I would be more scared that she might decide to do something but resting in bed," the tall man who looked like her male, older reflection stated calmly. "Lynn is terrible with midwinter stress. If we don't get back in time, she might have another nervous breakdown over the seating arrangement … and no one wants that, right?"

"That's why we are pretty happy that you accepted the invitation, Jade," Kay said with a nervous smirk. "You are her best friend and you might calm her down a little bit."

"It's hard being a perfectionist these days," Roy said with a shrug.

* * *

"The house is enormous," Riza concluded as she and Nerissa reached the entrance hall again after Victoria's little tour. "Who lives here, normally?"

"Lynn, Martin and the twins," Nerissa replied. "It's too much space for them so whenever I am in the area for a little bit longer, I live here too and before they transferred, Serena lived here with Jade and Phil Tempest, her fellow state alchemists. Lynn and Jade are extremely close friends and I still think that Serena and Phil are romantically involved with each other."

"What does _romantically involved_ mean?" Victoria inquired with the serious voice that seemed to be customary for her because she was a very serious person even though she was just a child.

"Dating, honey," Nerissa replied without batting an eye. "Kay and Lynn are raising their kids in a really progressive way and we were asked to answer all their questions without any lies."

"But can a five-year-old girl really understand what that means?" Riza asked.

"Seeing that Kay caught her daughter Laila with a romance novel last week and that Laila's only half a year older than the twins, I'd say that yes, they are really good informed."

The door was unlocked and swung open as Kay along with a group of people bustled into the hall. The redhead spotted her older twin within seconds and danced over to hug her tightly. "I am so happy to see you well, Nessa," she said cheerfully. "I heard from Lynn that you interrupted your last journey – did something happen on the way?"

"No, I just calculated a few things and figured out that I wouldn't be home for midwinter if I would complete that journey," the blonde said as she fiddled with her blue pullover. "You know me, Kay – I am though and I can live perfectly fine on my own." She halted. "Why is Major General Armstrong here?" she asked, slightly confused for the first time in many, many years.

"She is Llewellyn's plus-one and since I invited him as my closest co-worker and fellow general, I invited her as well because otherwise, she would have been robbed off her midwinter dinner…"

Olivier inclined her head. "It is a pleasure of meeting you, Miss Hamilton," she smirked.

"Um, where is the brigadier general, if I may ask?" the black-haired woman behind Olivier asked.

"Oh, he arrived early and he offered to fetch Nerissa's mystery husband from the train station," Kay said amused. "He is as curious as we are even though he claims to know more."

Nerissa's eyebrows twitched as she stretched. "How about we all settle down for some tea before we finally have dinner?" she suggested but since she was the oldest daughter, her suggestions were always poorly concealed orders.

Shedding off coats and jackets, they entered the living room. Lynn sat on a couch, wrapped into blankets and sipping her tea while a black-haired man who could only be her husband, Martin, sat next to her while a black-haired boy was playing with a blonde girl. The children were Nick and Laila, Lynn's son and Kay's daughter, and Riza had to say that they were adorable.

"It's quite surprising to see you here, Colonel," Riza said with a short nod.

"Silver Hands invited Jade and Lightening was kind enough to extend the invitation," he shrugged. "Let me guess, they are your distanced family you have just met?"

"My father's nieces, yes," she said with a fond smile. "I am curious about all of this."

"Lynn!" the tall black-haired woman who was undeniably related to the colonel squealed as she spotted her friend. "You fool! Did you really have to go and fall sick before midwinter? Seriously, you timing is even worse than mine and that is extremely difficult."

"Oi, get off my case and take care of yourself first," Lynn laughed.

"I got it," Victoria declared all off a sudden as she looked at Nerissa but a firm hand covered her mouth and she had to keep her realisation to herself for a little bit longer.


	2. Chapter 2

After tea and light dinner, the adults got together in the living room and Riza found herself confronted with the children's unnerving stare. "Is there a problem?" she asked calmly.

"No," Nick replied with a mischievous grin. "We are just assuming that you – like Vicky – know what's up with Aunty. Currently, we are wondering whether we should ask you or not."

Riza frowned slightly. "Are you psychic? Victoria has been talking with the Major General and the Lieutenant Colonel all evening…" she stated.

"Vicky mentioned some kind of realisation before Nerissa shut her up," the blond girl shrugged as she wrapped her arms around her cousin. "You have to see that we have no secrets between us. Whatever Vic knows is our knowledge as well but Nessa has been keeping a close eye on us."

A sharp knock informed them of the arrival of more newcomers and Nerissa rose from her chair to cross the room and just as the both men enter, she grabbed one's hand and beamed at her father. "Dad," she said with grin. "That's Lawrence, my husband. We are expecting a child."

The next twelve seconds set the theme for the entire holiday. Victoria jumped up, yelling 'I knew it!' before her brother shut her up. Peter, the regal general, paled considerably and Olivier was kind enough to check on him before she nodded at the blond man who awkwardly stood next to the happily married and … pregnant couple.

"Whiskey, Peter?" the Northern General asked with a smirk.

Meanwhile, Kay and her younger sisters were going through strange little black notebooks before Serena nodded at her older sister. "This is handsdown the most interesting information you ever relied to us during midwinter holidays," she stated. "Congratulation, Nessa, this even surpassed the time you told us that you quit your well-paying job to travel."

"Thanks," she said cheerfully. "See, I told you that I would be able to top that one."

Jade Tempest who was just as tall and pretty as Riza had always assumed her to be, giggled as she nodded at the tall blond man next to Miles and Nerissa. "I believe that you said that you would spend the holidays with your family, Bendix," she said with a teasing smirk and suddenly, it was so easy to understand why she had it so damn easy to get under the colonel's skin all the time. The black-haired woman was a well-calculated risk and she had to be included into any plan because otherwise, she would be the variable to screw you up.

"Ah well, I was going to visit my family even though I didn't look forward to all the fancy events they would drag me to and so I accepted Kay's invitation, especially after she told me to invite Olivier as well," the blond man replied with a shrug. "Why, worried that secrets of the south might end up in Olivier's hands?"

"Actually, no," she replied as she carelessly toyed with her necklace. "I know you too well to assume that you wouldn't be able to separate duty and personal life. Plus, the Major General has proven to be a valuable ally of the South many times before. I don't think that we have secrets from her, wouldn't you agree, Bendix?" she added and her voice was too soft, too light.

Olivier chuckled as she nodded at Miles. "Lieutenant Colonel, you never fail to surprise me."

"If this is your way of telling me that I am funny, I will have to kill you."

Lieutenant General Hamilton who also happened to be the host gently nudged their sides and held out a tray of champagne glasses. "I apologise for the interruption but would you like to have a drink instead of an argument," he said politely but just like Nerissa's suggestions, his offers always held a certain underlining order which was easily heard by those who cared enough.

Both women threw each other one last glare before they grabbed each a glass.

"They get along quite well," the black-haired man with the automail hand stated as Riza frowned confused. "They are both just far too stubborn to behave properly – that's why they are such kids about it. By the way, I'm Phil. Roy's my cousin so Jade and I take full blame for any bad habits he may have … we should have taught him better."

"Phil, you are one mean traitor," Roy said with a faked pout. "Sorry, Hawkeye, I was the one to fail to raise him properly. He's a bit of a rude fool."

But Riza paid no attention to him. Her eyes were fixed on Serena's hands that were wrapped around the edge of the table. White knuckles were a telltale sign of the inner turmoil of her cousin and for a moment, she did not understand before she saw a dark flicker in Serena's eyes – a surprising sight because Serena had had a reputation of being everything but expressive when it came to her emotions. Right now, she was belying those facts because anger burned bright in her eyes and Riza took a step back even though she had neither been flirting with Phil nor had she intended to. Serena, however, seemed to be extremely angered at something and as she stalked out of the room, head held high and shoulders straight, Riza exchanged a look with Lynn who had also noticed the sudden change in her sister's mood.

"Excuse me, Miss Hawkeye," Phil said as he ran a hand through his hair. "It seems like I have to check on Rena … she didn't look happy when she left."

Roy Mustang's eyebrows reached entirely new levels as he raised them. "So, you do have some social skills and you do realise that pissing off the woman who already cut off your hand once is not the smartest thing to do," he said amused. "Congratulation, Phil, you surprised me."

"You know what, Roy? Before you manage to fix things with Jade and the rest of the female world, you should try to keep yourself from giving advice," his cousin snarled before he turned to leave. "Jadie, if I am not back in ten minutes, send for an ambulance, alright?"

"Yes," she said without turning to look at him.

"She won't," Roy stated amused. "The last time they argued, she went to look after them when they didn't come back after half an hour. She caught them in a potentially embarrassing position and so she swore that she would never check on them again – until she smells death."

"Which is a perfectly good idea because otherwise, I'd be mentally scared for life," the tall woman said with a smirk on her face. "Plus, he'd be a wimp if he wouldn't be able to hold his own against her. Nothing against Serena, honestly, but he is supposed to be stronger than her."

"Yeah," Nerissa agreed as she gently pushed the blond man – Bendix Llewellyn – into Olivier's general direction. "Rena is a tough one but how long did Phil take to recover after the loss of his hand? He took three days off, got the surgery done and was back on normal duty within the next eight days – that's something we cannot say about most people."

"Rubbing his dutiful behaviour into my face won't make me any less lazy, Miss Hamilton," Roy said with an amused grin on his face.

"It should because otherwise, I will hurt your face," she replied sweetly. "Remember, I am pregnant. I am prone to have random outbursts of violence every once in a while."

"And knowing you, you are going to use this in your justifications for the next few months – until the day we will all be praying for you to go into labour soon," her twin remarked drily.

Riza had long noticed that the dynamic with Kay and Nerissa was a strange one. They were constantly bickering and teasing each other but at the same time, they were fiercely loyal and protective to each other. Maybe this was just another twin-thing, just like Jade's claim that she would not check on her brother even though her eyes were constantly fixed onto the door he had disappeared through a few minutes ago. Twins had connected minds and they worked best if they worked together and yet, they forcibly destroyed this connection all the time.

* * *

If there was anything that had been frequently an issue between Serena Hamilton and Philippe Tempest, it would be their terrible timing and their inability to communicate when it came to their emotions. They were both terribly jealous and they knew that this would cause them more heartache than anything else one day but they had never expected this day to come to early.

Philippe found Serena on the balcony, her slim form hidden in the shadows. He stepped behind her and rested his hands – the silver and the flesh one – on her shoulders to squeeze them gently. "I am sorry," he said gently because he knew that her silent outburst had been anything but unjustified. He had not even greeted her properly since he had arrived and yet, he had been cracking jokes with her cousin.

"Don't make me feel pathetic," she whispered as she stared at the falling snow. "I feel like some clingy teenager who needs her partner's attention the entire time he is awake."

"You are a mature woman and everything but clingy but at," he opened his pocket watch, "quarter past midnight, you have any right to demand my attention. You know that, Serena."

"I shouldn't have left like that," she sighed, resting the back of her head against his shoulder.

"With the amount of whiskey you drunk, I am surprised that you didn't voice your anger a little bit louder," he chuckled. "We both know that you are bad with the booze."

She smiled as she turned her head. "Where are we going to end?" she asked. "We create beautiful rows of messed up chances, of nearly fatal miscommunication…"

"Tonight won't make a difference," he admitted, "but we still need this break. We are bound by so many rules and to escape from all of this – even for only a night – is already healthy for us."

She interlocked his fingers with hers, a gesture older than time and yet always a new sensation. "You know me too well to believe that we will leave it at that, that we will pass on the cup without emptying it," she said. "We are both too greedy for this."

"That's what I meant to say," he said with a shrug. "But we aren't in WestCity anymore and we both know that NorthCity is dangerous, especially for us. We are in danger."

She rubbed her temples. "Scar makes me worry for Kay's safety," she admitted. "He hasn't been in SouthCity yet but if he goes there … she and Jade have never fought alongside before."

He looked over his shoulder before he pressed his lips against hers. "All of us will be safe before the next year is over," he promised. "We won't get in trouble anymore."

A low rustle behind them announced Lynn's presence and they leaned away from each other.

"We are all going to bed," the silver-haired woman yawned. "I'd advise you to go to bed soon too, Rena, because tomorrow will be stressful for all of us … so many guests … that's new."

"Yes," Serena said as she nodded at her sister. "Alright, Phil … goodnight."

He grinned mischievously at her. "You still have a habit of saying goodnight the same way others would say goodbye," he said. "But this is not goodbye. This will never be goodbye. We are playing this game to win and so we have forever – and to me, forever sounds about fine."

She nodded as she eased the tie that had bound her hair into a braid and long golden curls cascaded down her back. "Forever sounds truly like a nice plan," she said gently as she held out her hand. "By the way, my room is the one with the red and silver frame, just in case that you are looking for me. I will be up tomorrow at six, latest."

He grinned. "I know that," he said. "And believe me six is when Jade's day already halfway over. She usually gets up at four or so and at six she has done her morning workout."

"Did I ever mention how happy I am that she isn't living above me anymore? I would always wake up when she would go downstairs for her run when we still lived in the same house," she said as they stepped into the hallway. "Well, goodnight for today, Phil."

"Goodnight to you as well, Princess," he said amused and headed down the hallway, only to crash into his sister close to their guest rooms. "You haven't checked on me, Jade."

"I was not all that keen on another incident when I would catch you and Serena in a compromising position," his sister replied as a grin played around her mouth. "You see, that was kinda embarrassing for all of us – but especially for me."


	3. Chapter 3

Riza Hawkeye was an early bird and at six in the morning, she sneaked down the stairs, passing quite a few bedrooms where people were still sleeping peacefully. She entered the kitchen to make coffee for herself before she would read a few more chapters in the book Kay had recommended. To have a few minutes to herself would be nice with all the chaotic people surrounding her – especially since the children had asked her to go to the ice rink in town later on.

"Tea's in the cup on the counter, Lynn," a strangely cheerful and relaxed voice said and Riza was surprised to see her superior's cousin at the table, lost in a novel.

"It's me, not Lynn," she replied as she started to prepare the coffee. "Good morning."

"Ah well, Lynn's sick so she won't be up today," the other woman said with a nod. "She was foolish when she decided to act all tough and invincible yesterday…" She lifted her gaze from her own lecture – a bunch of stained parchment, covered in barely legible signs – to smile at the blonde. "Do me a favour and help me with the tea before Phil wakes up and laughs at me. I always make too much because I am still used to preparing breakfast for five instead of one."

Riza sent her a genuine smile as she helped herself with the tea. "When will the others be up?" she inquired. "I mean, do you know this, Lieutenant Colo-"

"It's just Jade," the higher-ranked woman interrupted her. "Phil and Serena sneaked out for a morning walk five minutes ago and Bendix should be up and showering right now. He will be here in a few minutes, probably along with Olivier."

"You know him quite well, don't you?" Riza inquired as she sipped on her tea.

"We work in the same department and live in the same building," Jade shrugged. "Plus, we were partners in West City before we were transferred to the South when Lynn was in the hospital once more. We are used to each other even though we still argue a lot."

"And Kay is part of your team as well?"

"We got nightshift together at times. She curses those nights because she rather is home with Charles and Laila but she accepts it as part of her duty. We usually send her home around midnight because there isn't much to do at night and we agree that it is better if she as a mother and wife gets home early than we because we are both single and have no family in the city."

Riza was about to reply when the door was opened and the duo of blondes strolled into the room. Olivier's hair was in a firm ponytail and Bendix looked tired and restless.

"Morning," he greeted as he helped himself with the tea. "Slept well, Jade? You are up so early."

"Since four, yes," she confirmed as she wrapped her hands around her cup. "I slept well but there was this translation to do and I proudly confirm that I managed to break that code."

"Which was to be expected," Olivier stated as she grabbed a mug of coffee. "Aren't you famous for being the best when it comes to codes and stuff like that?"

"I would never confirm that I have the right to stake such a claim," the black-haired woman said as her lips curled up into an amused little smirk. "Then again, I am generally the one who is consulted every time there is a code that needs to be broken so that investigation can go on."

"We just lost her for a few weeks when she had to travel to Central for a translation," Kay said as she closed the door behind her. "Welcome to the early birds, Riza and Olivier. Let me guess, Jade, you have been up for hours already."

"Twelve seconds till Roy will arrive," the black-haired woman said with a smirk. "And I guess that he won't be happy because it is far too early for him to be happy yet."

She was right and Riza had to admit that her superior had never looked less happy in all the years she had known him. Dark bags were under his eyes and he moved with the grace of a zombie as he grabbed the mug of coffee from his cousin's hand. "Morning," he muttered.

"Did you have a hard night, Roy-boy?" Jade inquired with a wide grin.

"Tell your brother to stop talking in his sleep and I might have better nights," he replied.

"Tell him this yourself because I am not your personal messenger, Roy-boy," she said as she patted his shoulder. "Anyway, I am going out now … if Phil looks for me," she stopped and for a moment, Riza watched how despair crossed her face. "Never mind," she said. "Have a nice day."

* * *

Kay was in the library and checked the accounting as Riza entered and sat down on the windowsill. The redhead looked up with a smile as she rested her pencil on her wide sheets of numbers for a moment. "How was breakfast with the others?" she asked as she leaned back in her chair.

"It was fine … it is normal for Jade to skip out as soon as the major general arrives?" Riza asked.

Kay frowned deeply before she turned away. "Their relationship has been tensed for as long as they have known each other," she stated. "Jade and Olivier were rivals back in school and since we all went to the same school, I have been entertained by them for years. It is mostly harmless – or it used to be harmless until Olivier heard that Jade and Bendix were seen together on outings that looked a little bit too much like casual dates."

"A love triangle like in a cheesy romance novel?"

"It might be funnier if Jade was aware of this view and if the involved trio would not happen to be high ranking officers who are all depending on each other. Jade is in the research department and might very well cut Olivier's entire budget even further. Olivier on the other hand is the one who controls most ancient scripts and that's what Jade actually likes to work with. Bendix needs Jade because she can put up with him and because she can actually cook quite well and I think that he would starve without her but she needs him because otherwise, she would get lonely up in the South – it's not her city after so many years."

"Okay, so your hobby is it to watch how a pretty unhealthy relationship between three people develops and seeing that you are probably the one who sees the major general the most frequently, you can spice things up whenever you want to?"

"It's a lot better than simply watching," Kay shrugged. "I haven't lost hope yet that Olivier confronts Jade one day and that my favourite fellow general gets that Jade is not interested in Bendix and that they are like siblings."

Their conversation was interrupted as Nerissa entered, hair messy and anything but calm. "Kay, I need someone to blow something up," she snapped as she held out a letter. "My agency refuses to destroy my old work. I believe that as the artist, I have the right to destroy what's mine."

"Dad will never approve of something like that, Nessa," Lynn said as she leaned against the doorframe, wrapped into eight blankets and sneezing permanently. "He said that he can't blow up things anymore … people are getting suspicious and…"

"Too bad that Kimblee is arrested," Kay said as she rolled her eyes. "Okay, here is what we do: Lynn talks with Jade because she can make things go boom as well. Just in case, we should inform Serena and Phil as well. Riza and I get Mustang into the boat. Dad will never-"

"Continue, it is very interesting to watch the way you plot something," her father said as he gently took a book from the shelf. "By all means, did I ever keep you from doing what you believe to be right? A little advice from the professional: wait till New Years Eve."

"Did I ever mention that I sometimes hate you, dad?" Nerissa asked with a sigh.

"You did," he grinned as he disappeared. "Oh, by the way, don't forget about the snowball fight. I am sure that Serena is already creating her fort along with Tempest."

"Dad just allowed us to blow something up," Lynn said slowly. "He also gave us advice. Has he snapped already?" she mused before she walked away, shaking her head and sighing.

"Okay, I will organise the explosion, Nessa, and you take care of the kids today," Kay said with a smirk. "Nick is on a tour with Charles and Martin but Laila and Victoria are hiding somewhere. It would be nice if you would find them before they can blow something up."

Nerissa paled considerably and for the first time, she seemed really worried. "Riza, you are a sniper, aren't you?" she asked as she looked at her cousin.

"Y-yes?" the brown-eyed lieutenant asked back.

"I will need your eyes to find them – they are pretty good at hiding from me…" Nerissa said with a sigh as she dragged her out of the library. "I will raise my child to be a little bit more … responsible and less tricky – that's for sure. Oh, hi, Olivier. Are you joining us?"

The major general turned away from the window she had been observing the lands. "What are you going to do?" she asked as her eyes flickered back to the window and before Riza could ask, she spotted Jade who marched across the frozen meadows as a certain brigadier general followed her. They seemed to be discussing something quite closely and the ice queen seemed to be bemused by the entire situation.

"We are looking for your goddaughter and Laila," Nerissa said and suddenly, her innocent blue eye was strangely guarded as it also roamed over to the duo outside. She was obviously also informed about the love triangle that was not really one and seemed to be working on some way to keep this situation from escalating.

"I will see whether I can find Vic somewhere," the major general said. "I believe that she and Laila wanted to sneak out to the graves yesterday but before I fell asleep, I heard how Kay caught them so I guess that they are going there now."

"We need to hurry up," Nerissa said after a moment.

"The graves?" Riza inquired as they started to hurry through the hallways, grabbing their coats.

"The graves," Nerissa confirmed, eyes set strictly ahead of her as she pushed open the doors. "I told Kay to make sure that they don't go there in winter – it's too dangerous. Hell, all of us got hurt there at least once – damn, we really should hurry up."

"Why would they want to go there?" the commander of the Briggs asked sharply.

"For the same reasons Kay and I used to go there – curiosity," Nerissa stated drily as she nearly ran across the white landscape. "And Laila and Victoria are worse on their own than with Nick."

"Nerissa, Riza started. "What is so dangerous about that graveyard?"

"In summer, it is safe as any place of this mansion," she replied. "It is dangerous in winter when you can't see what you are stepping on. Lynn broke her ankle when she lost grip on a frozen surface covered with snow and so did everyone else too."

"Ouch," the general said with a frown. "That sounds not good."

For a moment, Riza wondered why the stoic woman and Nerissa went along this well before she remembered that Nerissa's husband was the assistant of the Ice Queen and thus they had met before and they had long gotten over themselves – something which had never happened with Breeze Soul and the ice queen.

* * *

"You have been standing at that window like some sort of stalker for half an hour, Mustang."

He flinched back and twirled around, only to be face to face with Serena Hamilton who leaned against the wall, arms crossed and a smirk set firmly in place.

"I was not aware that my behaviour is any of your business," he replied.

"It is my business when someone stalks my cousin," she said drily. "And don't claim that you are watching Olivier or Nessa – they are both unavailable for you."

"It makes sense for your sister but Armstrong is single."

"Yet emotionally attached to Llewellyn – and she has been that way for over a decade … and she is a little bit too loyal to switch over to you," she said as she smirked. "I could help you."

"Someone like you helps no one," he stated. "We may never have met before but I am highly aware of your reputation, _Major_."

"You obviously listened to the wrong people," she said softly. "See, there is the problem: you only have the information circulating in the East and in the capital. And truth be told, I was a little bit dangerous while I was there. Rules do not interest me. _People_ do."

"You blew up an entire building."

"It was deserted and should have been rented to people who would have died as soon as the house would have collapsed. I had proof that this would happen. The official places refused to stop their plan. So I went and blew it up."

"You are an expert for weapons and explosives?"

"A woman needs to be strong to survive in a job where ninety percent of the co-workers are male. Having a reputation like the one I have keeps them away from me."

"Having Phil as your partner does the rest," he said. He looked at her and watched how she bit her lip as he mentioned his cousin. Jade had beaten it into his brain that she would personally murder him, drag his corpse into the forest and bury him where no one would ever find him if he dared to confront Serena about Phil's hand because there had been no other option.

"It does," she confirmed but her eyes were wary. "Anyway, we were talking about my cousin."

"And about mine," he grinned. "What are your intentions with Phil?"

"He is my partner and the one I trust with my life."

"You don't hesitate."

"Hesitation cost him his hand," she stated drily. "I was too slow and so I had no choice left."

"You four … you were the first survivors, weren't you?"

"We survived by chance, not because of our skill. We survived because we had the advantage of outnumbering him – and seeing that it was four against one, we failed pathetically. We should have been able to win, we should have defeated him. But we didn't."

"Jade said that she had second thoughts once she realised that he was Ishbalan."

"We had all our second thoughts. None of us uses an alchemy that is designed to kill. Lynn is a healer and the rest of us should be destroying houses and buildings, not people. We did not join to kill. We joined to change."

Roy looked over his shoulder and watched how a shadow disappeared from the wall. He frowned but he would investigate later on. "I can understand that," he said but he had known this from the beginning because this was about Jade as well and he _knew_ her.

"Now back to Riza," she said with a smirk. "She likes rain lilies. See you at dinner."


	4. Chapter 4

Bendix Llewellyn, son of Charlotte Llewellyn and Leroy Grumman, was investigating the unfamiliar house and was currently exploring the attic when he heard a soft whimpering noise. He sighed deeply as he pushed away a spin web. "Hey, Tempest, get out from wherever you are hiding," he sighed deeply. "I know that you are here."

For a moment, there was silence before Jade landed on her feet after jumping from a hidden spot. She dusted off her pullover and smirked confidently. "You called, sir?" she asked amused.

"You cried," he pointed out. "Jade, I have known you since we were kids. What's up with you?"

She crossed her arms. "My eyes are red because it is dusty and I am allergic."

"Uh-hu," he said as he rolled his eyes. "Jade, I heard you cry and so I called you."

"I am feeling useless," she admitted after a moment. "I feel so very useless because no one needs me anymore. Phil has a life in NorthCity and Roy is happy in the East. I am the one left behind."

"You are the best translator in the entire army and I would always say that there is no one out in this country who could be a real rival for you, Jade," he said. "You know this. You are the expert for so many things … start trusting yourself a little more and you will soar again. You know this."

She rolled her eyes. "I am not so sure, Bendix," she said softly. "Maybe my time is over."

"You aren't even thirty," he said amused. "Sorry, I didn't mean to belittle your feelings, Jade, but you have been someone the entire headquarters has relied on for years now. You are one of us."

"There is no us, Bendix," she replied slowly. "You see, we are fools – all of us. You and I, we are in exile. We don't belong to the South. We are children of the West and of the capital. Well, you also belong to the North because that's where your dearest princess lives."

"You have to keep teasing me about this, huh?" he sighed.

"Indeed," she said before the smile fell from her face. "You can be happy that I have no friend with whom I could gossip about your feelings, Llewellyn."

"You are lonely without your best friend and your brother, aren't you?" he asked calmly as he looked at her. "I know how you feel. I miss Liv as well."

"With the exception that you still see her," she sighed. "I hardly see Lynn and the others anymore. That's sad because well, I care about them a lot more than I care about most people."

"I would think that you are jealous if I wouldn't know a little bit better than that," he sighed.

She rolled her eyes. "Jealousy would make me even more pathetic than I already am," she said as she rose. "Anyway, I shall check on my brother and then I will get back to my translation. I think I just got the main pattern and maybe I can break it down now."

He looked after as she disappeared within a swirl of air and smiled. "You aren't complicated, huh?" he muttered. "I think that's what I will always admire about you."

"Admiration from you?"

"I was wondering when you would show up, Liv," he said as he turned around. "You were waiting on the stairs until you saw Jade pass, right?"

"You know me too well," she said after a moment. "Say, what did you two talk about?"

"She feels caged lately," he replied. "Work isn't going as planned and she is getting impatient because she has been waiting for a new script and she has been planning a trip to Aerugo which has not been approved of yet and she is literally doing nothing at work right now. That makes her question her value more than she should."

"I can hardly imagine that she willingly talked about this with you, Ben."

"Yeah, you probably know me too well too," he grinned. "But still, she didn't say it but this is her true problem. She does not mind that her brother stopped needing her or that she is stuck in SouthCity while everyone else is somewhere else. When she had work to do, she was calmer and less prone to emotional outbursts. She is still the same stoic girl we have known all along."

"She will get back to herself soon," the blonde replied as she absentmindedly rubbed the scratch on her cheekbone. "A twig scratched me when I ran after Victoria," she explained with a shrug.

"You really like that girl if you got hurt for her," he said as he wiped away the blood from her cheek. "Or is this too hard for you to admit, Liv?"

She rolled her eyes. "That girl won't need protection much longer," she stated. "One day soon, she will be strong enough to walk on her own, to make her own decisions. Even now she shows more promise than I have seen when I look at recruits. This girl has a dream hidden inside of her, a dream longing to be lived. She will walk her way through flames and ruins if necessary."

"A girl like you," he replied.

She smiled but did not deny anything.

* * *

The midwinter dinner had been anything but eventful and to Riza, it was obvious that her uncle was relieved because he had been restless the entire time. She had not spoken much with him so far because he had been busy with preparations for most of the time she had been there and now, as she finally tried to approach him because everything else would be rude, the door to the living room flew open and a stranger rushed in.

And this was strange because the streets had been closed for hours now and no train had been able to make it to WestCity in the past few days because of the snow fall. Seeing that she was on a vacation until after midwinter, she did not mind it as much as Jade who was getting more and more restless inside the house and had to be calmed down by both Lynn and Brigadier General Llewellyn who were both used to her restlessness because both of them had worked with her.

Peter turned around as the stranger entered and raised his eyebrow. "You are late for dinner," he said as he took the coat from her. "And I would ask how you managed to get through the snow but I guess that I wouldn't like the answer so I won't even ask."

"I walked from Lutetia," she replied as she sat down on the couch. "That's why I took so damn long to get here. By the way, I brought presents for everyone. I had your butler telling me the exact amount of guests and everything."

"Did I ever mention how happy I am that you are on my side?"

"Yes," she replied. "Oh, hello there, Nessa. It has been a while, hasn't it?"

The blonde averted her gaze from the novel she had been reading while Miles had his arms wrapped firmly around her and smiled friendly. "I had hoped that you would make it, Cathy."

Riza raised her eyebrow as Nerissa rose from her couch and approached the newcomer to hug her tightly. "I think that you should get some tea before you get sick," the blue-eyed woman said cheerfully. "But, no, you stay and chat with dad and Riza. I will-"

"I am already going," Jade said as she closed her book and got up. "I need something to do."

Lynn was about to say something or so it seemed but then she closed her mouth again and sneezed once more. "Damn this cold," she muttered as she grabbed her cup of tea again. "This is really no fun, I mean, why did I have to fall ill on midwinter?"

"There, there," Kay said amused as she patted her head. "I think you sound a lot better by now."

"As soon as I can run without having a headache, I will go after you and I will kill you, Kay," Lynn promised. "And then you shall regret that you ever made fun of me."

"This would be less scary if we wouldn't know that Lynn will keep this promise," the stranger said as she turned in Riza's direction. "The name is Catherina, I'm Peter's oldest friend," she said friendly. "And since Nerissa kept me updated, I heard a lot about you, Riza."

"Oh, really?" Riza asked. "Because I have no idea who you are, madam."

"Dad's old flame," Lynn said with a chuckle. "Or that's what we think – where's Olivier?" she asked, interrupting herself.

* * *

Olivier Armstrong was a woman with a mission and so she slammed the door shut after she had followed Jadelina Tempest into the kitchen where the black-haired woman had been making tea. "We have something to discuss, Lieutenant Colonel," the blonde started darkly.

"No, you have something to realise, Major General," the black-haired woman said as she crossed her arms. "Or to word it differently: you have been blind and oblivious for years, Student President. You have no idea what you have been doing all those years."

"I have not interfered with anything as it still seemed like he was in love with you, Vice-President," Olivier replied and wondered how long it had been since she had called Jade by this title. She remembered that it had been probably the time she had congratulated Jade for winning a competition for their school but she did no longer know which one.

"And this is where it starts: he has never been in love with me."

"You are lying," Olivier replied. "You are the one who can kill with a smile."

"Ever thought that he might have been not literal when he said that?" Jade asked as she stoically sipped on her tea. "I am flattered that you consider me cold or creepy enough to be smiling when I kill but I have to tell you that no, I never smile when I kill."

"You were elected to be the girl most guys wanted to have as their girlfriend."

"Lucky you, Bendix is hardly 'most guys' or would you argue that he is like those idiots who broke into our locker room to watch us change?" Jade smiled. "I want you to know that I talked with him over this entire confusion and so I can inform you that the woman he loves can take care of herself, she is patient enough to wait for her turn. And that's not me."

"But you are the one who never surrenders and who is years ahead of her time," Olivier replied.

"Maybe but I am not steady. I am truly like air, full of change and surprises," she shrugged as she looked over the rims of her glasses. "I am not a promise, I am a threat. Remember that."

Olivier looked at her. "I never hurt him."

"Aside from breaking his heart by simply not getting it, yes," the state alchemist said. "As a more or less unconcerned onlooker, I'd say that you bring out the best and the worst in him. Plus, he is one you were ever showing kindness too. Oh, and maybe Victoria gets to see your nicer side too but the rest still sees you as the merciless queen of the Briggs." She sighed. "You may not want to admit it but the only reason why you suspected me instead of any other woman in this world is that I am your anti-thesis, the anti-Olivier."

Olivier raised her eyebrow. "No," she said. "I suspected you because you are the most like me without being me. That's the difference between it. We are alike, both doing whatever we want to do, both being never fooled and deceived by someone else's plans and both stubborn to the end. Well, this is the reason why I thought that it might be you."

Jade chuckled. "You should have remembered something I always said: happiness is not part of my agenda. I have other goals for the moment – like a promotion and a transfer away from SouthCity because this town is driving me crazy. And no one wants another crazy state alchemist."

"You would always be welcome in Briggs," Olivier said.

"I would mess up the hierarchy there and I know how much you value order," she smiled. "No, I intend to get to Central City. They aren't prepared for me there."


End file.
